From the US to Kazakhstan and Back
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Okay, I tried to blog and then post a picture but I guess that's wrong. Good thing I'm practicing! Hopefully this will turn out better.
This is my little Bert. As you can see, he is a close relative to the snow leopard.
Another interesting thing I found out today is that when you go to the bank to get your cash for the trip, when they ask you your occupation, "Drug Dealer" or "Money Launderer" are definitely not the correct answer. Good thing it was Frost Bank and they have a sense of humor. Good people at Frost bank.
Five days to go!
The good news is, I found out that we can get our digital photos printed and transferred to CDs while we're over in Kazakhstan. That was something I was kind of worried about but we'd figure it out no matter what. Got to keep in mind that the goal is to get my little girl and get her home. If we have some fun along the way, that's gravy.
Where?
When people ask me where I'm going and I say "Kazakhstan", I get a lot of nods, a lot of blank looks and a lot of "Where?" responses. Don't worry, I did the same thing. Although Kazakhstan is the largest of the former Soviet Union countries, we don't hear much about it over here.
Kazakhstan did build the Russian versions of the Space Shuttle, though, and when that US astronaut came home with the Russian cosmonauts a few months ago, they made their bumpy landing in Kazakhstan. I notice more now when Kazakhstan is mentioned in the news. Guess it's like driving a Volkswagen. You don't notice how many of them are on the road until you start driving one yourself. You're just more aware of them and I'm more aware of Kazakhstan now.
But, if you're still wondering, I did find a good map of the Asian continent that helps figure out the location in relation to other countries of which we're more aware. Click here to go to the map.
I do have a map in my "Stranded on the Silk Road: The What Next?! Guide to Almaty" which shows snow leopards (!) are native to the mountains near Almaty. While they're rarely seen anymore, it would be very cool if I actually got a glimpse of one. At 150 pounds, they're not huge cats but if I do catch a glimpse of one, I hope it's while we're in the car.
Everybody knows I'm a cat lover and the "big cats" are fascinating but my favorites have always been the snow leopards. There was a pair of them at the Como Zoo and when I lived there I used to go check them out every once in a while. No trip to the Como Zoo was complete without seeing the snow leopards. It's nice to know they're still there. Cute kitties!
I think this guy might be one of Bert's distant relatives.
Here I am with only 5 days to go and I'm rambling on about snow leopards. Must be because I'm getting nervous and excited. What a trip this will be!
